312 Yukio Mishima

15 snips

Mar 1, 2021

Renowned Japanese novelist and nationalist Yukio Mishima is the focus of this episode. The host delves into Mishima's life, exploring his quest for identity and his impact on literature and society. The discussion covers Mishima's early life, his belief in the aesthetic value of actions, and his exploration of societal norms and his own identity. The episode also highlights Mishima's artistic achievements, his dramatic death by seppuku, and expresses gratitude to listeners supporting the podcast.

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Introduction

00:00 • 4min

Mishima's Life: Pain, Artifice, and a Sense of Humor

04:20 • 10min

The Early Life of Yukio Mishima: Crime as Art

14:43 • 6min

The Background and Childhood of an Unnamed Newspaper Figure

20:24 • 3min

Yukio Mishima's Formative Years and Artistic Exploration

23:45 • 28min

Exploring Yukio Mishima and Expressing Gratitude

51:19 • 4min

In November of 1970, the most famous novelist in Japan dropped off the final pages of his masterpiece with his publisher, then went to a military office in Tokyo, where he and a small band of supporters took the commander hostage. The novelist - whose name was Yukio Mishima - then appeared on the balcony before a crowd of a thousand soldiers and supporters. After exhorting them to overthrow the Japanese government and return Japan to its proud imperial past, he stepped away from the balcony and committed seppuku, the ritualized suicide made famous by samurai warriors from Japan's legendary shogunate period. Who was Mishima? What brought him to this point in his life?

In this episode, Jacke takes a look at the turbulent life and dramatic death of Yukio Mishima (1925-1970). PLUS a special announcement!!

Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. (We appreciate it!) Find out more at historyofliterature.com, jackewilson.com, or by following Jacke and Mike on Twitter at @thejackewilson and @literatureSC. Or send an email to jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com.

New!!! Looking for an easy to way to buy Jacke a coffee? Now you can at paypal.me/jackewilson. Your generosity is much appreciated!

The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.

***

This show is a part of the Podglomerate network, a company that produces, distributes, and monetizes podcasts. We encourage you to visit the website and sign up for our newsletter for more information about our shows, launches, and events. For more information on how The Podglomerate treats data, please see our Privacy Policy.

Since you're listening to The History of Literature, we'd like to suggest you also try other Podglomerate shows surrounding literature, history, and storytelling like Storybound, Micheaux Mission, and The History of Standup.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices